(ATLANTA) July 12, 2013 – The Georgia Center for Nonprofits (GCN) and The Home Depot Foundation have partnered to recognize high-performance leadership in metro Atlanta nonprofits. Eight just-released case studies provide models for fellow sector leaders to develop their own high-impact initiatives.

The case studies are the result of the Building Community Network (BCN) initiative. Now in its sixth year hosting BCN, The Home Depot Foundation has invested nearly $3 million in 110 of Atlanta’s top-performing nonprofits. As part of the initiative, GCN and The Home Depot Foundation sponsor a yearly case study competition that recognizes best practices in the areas of leadership, programming, collaboration and innovation within Georgia’s nonprofit sector. The annual Nonprofit IMPACT Awards recognize the very best case studies.

The theme of this year’s case study competition was leadership – in all its dimensions, from developing mentoring programs to coalition building. Each in-depth case study explores the tactics employed by an Atlanta nonprofit leader in addressing their challenges, such as assembling an environmental “super team” to creating a Georgia art museum from the ground up.

“These are bold, visionary leaders,” said Karen Beavor, President and CEO of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits. “Their stories are prescriptions for how a high-performing nonprofit leader can achieve transformative impact for their organization.”

The winners of this year’s awards and runners-up are all featured in the 2013 Nonprofit IMPACT Awards Case Studies document, available for download on the Georgia Center for Nonprofits’ website at http://www.gcn.org/impactawards2013. This year’s honorees include:

Building Leaders for the Sector

Winner | Atlanta Ballet, Internal and External Mentorship Program
Runner-up | Goodwill of North Georgia, Securing a Future with a Professional Development Engine

GCN President and CEO Karen Beavor praised the winners and urged other nonprofit professionals to read the case studies as examples of the principles and practicalities of high-performance leadership.

“There are ‘red thread’ themes common to each of these leadership success stories,” Beavor said. “These case studies allow all of us to see how our peers are developing leaders, folding that commitment into core strategy, getting their teams to buy-in, and aligning all of these goals with their mission. “

Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation, agreed. “We feel it is especially important to support local Atlanta nonprofits by sharing with the larger community the exemplary stories of their incredible performance. By creating a partnership with the Georgia Center for Nonprofits and highlighting the best practices within Atlanta’s nonprofit sector, we hope to provide a successful model for other nonprofits to replicate.”

About the Georgia Center for Nonprofits

The Georgia Center for Nonprofits builds thriving communities by helping nonprofits succeed. Through a powerful mix of advocacy, solutions for nonprofit effectiveness, and insight building tools, GCN provides nonprofits, board members and donors with the tools they need to strengthen organizations that make a difference on important causes throughout Georgia. Learn more at GCN.org, follow us on Twitter @GAnonprofits, and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/georgiacenterfornonprofits.

About The Home Depot Foundation

Since its formation in 2002, The Home Depot Foundation has granted more than $300 million to nonprofit organizations improving homes and lives in local communities. To learn more and see our associates in action, visit www.homedepotfoundation.org, follow us on Twitter @homedepotfdn, and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/homedepotfoundation.